Web Strategy to Convey Marine Biogeochemical Feedback Concepts to the Policy Community: Aerosol and Sea Ice

Abstract

Limited understanding of the climate system imposes upon policy makers an intimate reliance on results from Earth System Models (ESMs). However, climate simulations are necessarily incomplete since many strong channels through planetary scale biology and geochemistry remain too complex or poorly comprehended to include. This paper presents and describes an interactive, public domain website detailing the role of two marine biogeochemical (mBGC) feedback loops currently excluded from many ESMs (www.marinefeedbacks.com). Every page on the website includes images or videos to foster engagement with its technically challenging content. Simultaneously, fundamentals of the natural science involved are reinforced. The site includes subsections of the following nature; background information, executive summaries for each feedback type, detailed descriptions of the chemical mechanisms, climate change impact, and recommendations for future research. The information provided is firmly grounded in the technical literature but is designed specifically for accessibility to non-scientists. Particular targets for the material are the next-generation of decision makers and those framing the international climate agenda. It is hoped that a site with tailored pedagogical value may contribute to well informed policy formulation and legislation.

Keywords

• dimethyl sulfide
• ice chlorophyll
• marine biogeochemical feedbacks
• climate change
• phytoplankton
• policy and decision makers
• scientific communication